UNITYUNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF COMMON AND SUPPORTIVE COURSES

Basic Writing Skills Practice Activities
Activity 1. Complete each of the following sentences using coordinating and subordinating
conjunction
1. You will die _________ you keep smoking like this.
2. I know her address; _________________, I won’t tell you where it is.
3. She works hard ________________ she will succeed.
4. She is intelligent, _____________ she is living a miserable life.
5. He was always rude to his boss. _____________, he didn’t get promoted.
6. Stop beating her like that. They will accuse you ___________ any part of her body is hurt.

7. He couldn’t come to the meeting ______________ he was busy. Sosina is _________

student _________ has gotten a full scholarship from Michigan University.
8. _____________ the decisive war, many civilians were migrated. ____________, the
United Nation Security council had made a court order on Syrian Government.
___________, the Syrian Government didn’t accept this court order.
9. The President gave an orientation to each ministry _________ facilitate governmental
practice. ____________________ he made them to be careful.

Activity 2. The following sentences have a Fragment error. You should revise them.
1. Error: The journey took two hours. It was very enjoyable.
Revised: ______________________________________________.
2. Error: The meeting held at Addis Ababa. For agreement.
Revised: _______________________________________________.
3. Error: Something horrible happened in 1998. His father died.
Revised: ________________________________________________.
4. Error: He helped her. Since he was her friend.
Revised: ________________________________________________
5. Error: Soliana from Dire Dawa University in Economics in 2002.
Revised: ________________________________________________

Activity 3: Rewrite the following sentences have Run-On Sentences.

1. Error: She is my sister I like her.
Revise_______________________________________________________.
2. Error: Never speak him, he is arrogant.
Revised: _____________________________________________________.
3. The road to success is tiresome it requires persistence.
Revised: _________________________________________________.
4. Error: He found the pen on the table, he was very happy.
Revised: ____________________________________________________
Activity 4: The following sentences have a Misplaced Modifier Error. Rewrite them correctly.
1. Error: He stored the books in the room which he wanted to read on weekends.
Revised: ______________________________________________________.
2. Error: I saw the virus through the Microscope that I couldn’t identify.
Revised: _______________________________________________________.
3. He found the room empty where he had put all his things.
Revised: _______________________________________________________.
4. Error: He enjoyed reading which I bought the book last week.
Revised: ______________________________________________________.

Activity 5: Revised the following sentences which have a dangling error

1. Error: Only a child, my father showed me how to shoot.
Revised: _______________________________________.
2. Driving through the mountain, the three Beers I saw.
Revised: _______________________________________________________.
3. Error: After working in the fields all day, our sleep was long and deep.
Revised: _____________________________________________________.
4. Error: Leaving out the guests, I arrived at home.
Revised: ____________________________________________.
5. Error: Going home, a shining olden ring was found.
Revised: ______________________________________________.

Activity 6: Correctly rewrite the following sentences which have faulty parallelism.
1. Error: Drinking tej doesn’t delight me as to eat honey.
Revised: ___________________________________________.
2. Error: Askelech is not only a mother to Fasil but also Tewabech.
Revised: ____________________________________________.
3. Error: The new clerk proved capable and respects to his colleagues.
Revised: ___________________________________________.
4. Error: He is interested in driving Executive car, to learn Art, and listening Hop music.
Revised: ______________________________________________________________.

Activity 7: Correctly rewrite the following sentences which have faulty parallelism.
1. Error: Neither the chairs nor the sofa need cleaning at this time.
Revised: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Error: Each of my uncles have written letters to thank me.
 Revised: -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Error: Robel is one of the outstanding students who has been awarded by the office.
Revised: -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Error: Kemal, Abel and Zemenuhas studied Managemnet.
Revised: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Activity 8: Rewrite the following sentences which have ambiguous pronoun reference.
1. Error: Ethiopian and Sudan have worked in partnership. She has worked in energy.
Revised: ______________________________________________________.
2. Error: The cat entered the house, she cleaned it.
Revised: ______________________________________________________.
3. Error: Aster danced with Susan, she felt happy.
Revised: _________________________________________________.
4. Error: The manager, the secretary and the messenger come together. She hold leather made bag.
Revised: _____________________________________________________________,

Activity 8: The following sentences have errors, and identify the error type and

write the correct version in the space provided.

1. After Hanna insulted her little child, she went to play with her friend.
Error type: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Revised: -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Mobile cell phones are one of the best.
Error type: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Revised: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Tigist gets up every morning she brushes her white teeth.
Error type: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Revised: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Going home early is better than to stay home.
Error type: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Revised: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. Going the class, the course was begun immediately.
Error type: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Revised: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. Solomon, as well as his friends, are listening to local music.
Error type: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Revised: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. Sosina doesn’t study wisely. Despite passing the exam.
Error type: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Revised: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8. Frozen shrimp lay in the steel pans that were melting rapidly.
Error type: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Revised: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9. Chopping the onions, the knife cut her finger.
 Error type: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Revised: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10. Carlos told Jake that he had been elected captain.
Error type: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Revised: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11. She has an aggressive behavior in school this leads her arrogant.
Error type: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Revised: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12. The farmers work in harder in summer, so he will be profitable.
Error type: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Revised: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13. Selamawit passed the exam and join a university.
Error type: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Revised: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------